ISHRA SS: Jee le zara Pg 49 - Pt 14&15 -Completed

So here it goes...Jee le zara...[for now its Jee le zara but may change if i get a better name!😉]

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Chapter1:

It was over 6 months since Shagun was gone. She had bid good bye to him and within a week, her lawyer sent him the divorce papers duly signed by her. It took him a while to register that she was indeed going away from him and also that she wanted a permanent closure to their marriage and life together.

Yes he had slapped her in an impulsive rage. Well who wouldn't...she had mercilessly aborted their child without his consent just because she wanted to pursue her modelling career and couldn't afford to lose her figure and image. Without a second thought, she had crumbled his dream moment under her feet. He wouldn't have even known if his sister hadn't seen Shagun by chance at the clinic and enquired the matter with the nurse there.

An angry outburst followed by his slap, she couldn't take it. She walked out of the house saying that the marriage was over. He thought she would come back after her anger cooled down but she didn't. Only the divorce papers came to him. Whatever and however he tried, she refused to come back and she was firm in her decision.

So be it...Raman decided as he signed the papers and returned them back. It was all over now.

He sat with a drink in his big mansion. It wasn't a home any day. It had always been a house of bricks and not a home bound by love. So not a big deal now. His parents lived in their apartment in their own apartment a little away from his house. It was their wish to continue staying in the same apartment although he compelled them to move in with him. They knew Shagun didn't want them there as intrusions in their life. His parents didn't want to cause problems in Raman's life. But destiny had other plans.

Theirs was a perfect arranged marriage. Of course, they had met and interacted well before the wedding. She was carried away by his personality and above that was his wealth. For him, her beauty was enchanting enough, his fault too perhaps. He never had the time to know the real her more.

He sipped his drink trying to shut down all those forgettable memories of a life which he wanted to erase off his mind forever. It was his 3^rd drink. Two more to go to finish his quota for the day and to be able to rest his mind. His empty life was staring back at him.

He closed the album which had glimpses of his entire life...his fingers brushed the last photo which had Shagun smiling at him. He had taken picture that when he had gifted a diamond necklace to her. Perhaps the smile was due to the sparkle of the diamond. He smirked thinking about the hollow relationship he was in and had assumed it as a perfect set life forever! She had used his money, social status and business contacts for establishing her career.

"Soulmate, my foot!" he smacked himself for his foolish thinking about the sanctity of their relationship.

The ring of the door bell snapped him out...and when he didn't open the door, he heard a female voice calling him, "Raman...Raman"

He voiced as he looked towards the door..."Ishita..."

A part of him didn't want to open up to the outside world and socialize with people. A part of him didn't want to open up and let her see him like this.

Yet, his legs dragged him towards the door. He couldn't ignore or shut out on her!

May be he wanted her company...was he expecting her to come? He wasn't clear! He never was when it came to matters regarding her!

He didn't pose any indifference to her as he opened the door. He just stepped back and let her come in. He didn't voice anything nor did he show a sign of anger seeing her there to intrude his private space.

There were no hi's, hello's or any formal words of welcome uttered! Perhaps his silence and her eyes communicated it all. She knew what had happened to him and he knew why she was there to meet him. So they didn't need any such formal conversations but yeah it had been a long long time since they met yet there was no sign of such a reunion meet.

She stood still for a long moment and then stepped in. He walked into the house expecting her to follow him inside.

He took the chair where he was seated before she came while she silently took the chair opposite to him. None spoke for a long time.

He was looking away from her while her eyes were intently on him trying to gauge what he was thinking...but his looks, his face everything was inscrutable like always...She couldn't read anything from his face...It was plain blank...expressionless...emotionless...No, there were emotions...angry and intense ones but yet unreadable!

She never could understand the real him...Yet she knew he was not what he showed outside...He wasn't stone hearted...his ego, his rudeness, his arrogance, his curt behaviour were all a facade to hide the real him. The real him was soft, gentle but he disliked showing that side to all, especially even her. But she had seen through him once but it was too late.

She knew long before that she hadn't known him completely...He always hid his real feelings, his emotions and his thoughts. But she never tried to trespass or forcefully barge into that area which he preferred to keep to himself.

Now with the beard on his handsome face and the alcoholic drink in hand, he looked like a person who had completed all his life goals and nothing more was left for him in his life...He seemed like someone whose sole purpose of living was over! Had he loved Shagun so much that her going away had left him in such darkness? The mere thought filled her with a sort of anguish. No it wasn't jealousy yet it pricked and hurt her deeply. Little did she know that it was hatred and sheer disgust that filled him up now!

She longed to warmly embrace him and console him but she knew that he wouldn't allow her to get anywhere close to him! She had wished to offer her hand for support and guide him as a friend to rid away all those void thoughts which seemed to be pulling him into a dark black hole!

But she couldn't...his anger and fury always scared her like hell...And even today was no different...Added to that was his mother's instruction to leave him alone for a while till he composes himself...She also felt that it was the best thing to do. So she didn't come to meet him till now.

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Before she broke the silence, he spoke up "I expected you here earlier Ishita..."

Ishita was a little taken aback by his statement...it wasn't sarcasm or any kind of taunt...

It was a new tone that reflected in his voice...he looked an entirely new Raman to her or perhaps the gentle Raman whom she had seen once. It was at the time just before her bidaai after her wedding with Subbu...

He looked at her and she knew that he was expecting her to come and meet him earlier.

She gathered a little and replied, "I thought I should leave you..."

Raman snapped her in a lost tone, "You have always left me alone Ishita"

She could sense the loneliness and pain in his voice. It wasn't due to his situation at the moment. It pitched deeper, longer...

It was the first time that she felt that he missed her terribly as a friend, a companion, someone who would hear out to his venting out, tolerate his anger and outburst, lend him a shoulder for support but she couldn't ignore the tinge of accusation in his words either.

She looked at him enquiringly. Had he loved her the same way she loved him? But why didn't he tell her even once? She had waited till the day she got married but not once did he come out with it. Rather, he had told her that Subbu was perfect for her and her family as her life partner.

Perhaps the sky high ego within the friends had pulled them apart. Or perhaps it was their difference in family backgrounds, their extreme opposite cultures and traditions that stopped them from pursuing what had started growing in their hearts. From mere neighbours to friends, the journey wasn't easy but they did tide through it. And slowly, it started developing deeper into something more special but both kept it within thick wraps. Hurting the family sentiments was something they both dreaded. Even then, she waited for him to tell it once. She felt they would fight all odds together but then all she got back in return was indifference when Subbu's alliance came up. Raman appeared very happy for her and she felt that he was never interested in her.

Six months into her wedding, she had to go to US with Subbu. After almost a year, she heard from her mother that Raman had married some girl whom his parents had chosen for him. She was happy for him. She had prayed and wished all happiness for him.

She was back on a vacation to India after almost 2 years. That's when she came to know about Raman's divorce.

She wanted to fill in his void and loneliness...she wanted to help him get back to the right track of life. She had even made an attempt to meet Shagun and talk to her. She wished to reunite them but Shagun didn't relent a bit. She said that it was her final decision and everything was over with Raman.

Now when she saw him in such a bad shape, she wanted to run to him and hold his hands and say that he wasn't all alone in this world. She wanted to assure him that there were people who were concerned for him...and who wished to stand by and support him always.

But she didn't do any of that but just looked at him...and in the briefest of moments, he looked at her as well and their eyes met. His eyes were intense and appeared to be expecting her to speak something while hers was inquisitive and wanted him to talk to her casually like old times.

She snapped the eye lock and tried to start a conversation...she looked around...the entire place had a rich look, never the choices of Raman.

She could see that everything there had a royal touch to it..."must be Shagun's choices or has Raman changed over the years?" she thought to herself!

He saw her looking around and voiced like in a trance, "yahaan sab kuch Shagun ke isaab se chaltha tha..."

She could feel pain and disappointment in his tone...pain of losing his love and disappointment because their love paradise lay shattered. Even today, she was wrong in reading his real emotions but then did it matter now? Wasn't it too late for all such realizations?

She felt that he wanted to speak to her more about Shagun but she wasnt sure if she wanted to allow him to do that because she knew the more he did that, the more he would be in despair. Sometimes, it was better to let go.

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When he became silent, she got up and looked to a direction which looked like the kitchen...

He enquiringly looked at her when she tried to walk to that direction...she explained, "ek glass paani..."

He had a cook and also a servant who worked during the day and then left in the evening. As they had already left, he went to get water for her. The moment he poured the water, he remembered how she used to relish coffee. He decided to make coffee for both of them though he was a novice at all kitchen related work. He felt enthusiastic to do that for her.

As he tried to decant the boiling water, the hot vapours fell on his hand and he placed the vessel quickly on the kitchen counter not able to bear the burning feel of the vapour.

Before he could try once more to do it, a hand pushed him away from the counter voicing, "jo kaam tumhe karna nahi aatha, usse karne ki khoshish matth karo Raman..."

He looked to her side as she took his position and continued decanting...It was her usual taunt for him...

He replied back, "aisa kuch nahi hai jo Raman Kumar Bhalla nahi kar saktha Ishita"

She silently grinned at his pride and continued making the coffee.

Handing over the cup to him, she voiced "woh toh dikh raha hai!" making him grin sheepishly.

She could feel his mood changing a bit...The RAMAN KUMAR BHALLA' attitude was coming back to form...her unintentional attempts were succeeding.

He took a sip of the coffee and the alcohol in his system was making the coffee taste seem weird. He made a funny face, "ewww...itne saal mein ek coffee toh banaana seekh lethi yaar!"

She wanted to prove her point and took a sip swiftly...it burned her lips as she sipped the steaming liquid and she hissed but didn't show it out much..."ewww" she had missed to add sugar...but her ego made her go silent.

From her facial expressions, he knew that there was something missing in it but he wasn't sure what. Both were adamant to let go. She just casually shrugged, "thoda cheeni kam hai...but I prefer it this way!"

He taunted immediately looking at her head to toe, "accha hai...bohat moti hogayi ho..."

She frowned and pouted, "awww moti aur main??"

He chuckled at her question, "koyi shaq hai?? roz aaina dekti ho, na? ya phir ussme hi fit nahi aate, huh?"

She stamped her foot violently near his leg and walked away with her cup muttering, "tumse baat karna hi bekhaar hai... praandh!!"

He screamed playfully stepping back as if escaping from her stamp, "arre mera fracture karwaane ka iraadha hai kya??? moti madraasan!"

She just glared at his side once before going out. Raman couldn't help a smile at her childlike walking out.

Outside, she also smiled to herself content that she had managed to get him to talk like the Raman she knew from childhood.

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With her presence around him, he never could stick on to the grieving and despaired form of his.

Mocking and taunting "Raavan Kumar" was sure to return to taunt and mock his "Jhansi ki rani"

"HIS Jhansi ki rani" that stared back at him like a dangling question mark. Wasn't she someone else's now? In those few moments, both of them had forgotten that reality!

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Tera Yakeen Kyun
Maine Kiya Nahi
Tujhse Raha Kyun Judaa
Mujhpe Yeh Zindagi
Karti Rahi Sitam
Tune Hi Di Hai Panaah
Tera Mera Rishta Purana

Tera Mera Rishta Purana

Tera Mera Rishta Purana

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Please do post your comments...will continue based on your response...

It will get romantic from the next part...a little crazy too! 😉😆

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A wonderful FF. An interesting concept to say the least. I like how you have made them to be old friends, but also retained their banter as in the serial... beautiful. eagerly awaiting the next parts

Amazing concept..
Love the bond that ishra shares...
Ishita is only capable of bfinging out raman from his dark shell.
Update soon..
Pm me if u can

awesome story...liked it very much. aww poor raman.

Too gud... Update nxt part soon

😊 seriously amazing !!is the word. please please continue soon

Very nyc pls continue soon

Awesummm update. Loved it. Different turn in the story. I hv nt read anything like ths in the forum. Plsss keep continuing. Eager to read more. Pls PM me. Thnkuuuyy so muchhh.

wow vidya..so happy to see u startin another IshRa FF..loved the first chapter..plz continue soon